EN 13402

Clothes-size label with EN 13402-1 pictogram and body dimensions in centimetres (found on a high-visibility jacket sold in the United Kingdom).

EN 13402 Size designation of clothes is a European standard for labelling clothes sizes. It is based on body dimensions, measured in centimetres. It replaces many older national dress-size systems in popular use before the year 2007. Acceptance of this form of standardisation varies from country to country. For example, the Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs has commissioned a study[1] to categorise female body types with a view to harmonising Spanish clothing sizes with EN-13402. Few other countries are known to have followed suit.

The label states the range of body measurements for which the product was designed. (For example: bike helmet label stating "head girth: 56–60 cm")

Product dimensions

The label states characteristic dimensions of the product. (For example: jeans label stating inner leg length of the jeans in centimetres or inches (not inner leg measurement of the intended wearer))

Ad hoc size

The label states a size number or code with no obvious relationship to any measurement. (For example: Size 12, XL)

Traditionally, clothes have been labelled using many different ad hoc size systems. This approach has led to a number of problems:

For many types of garments, size cannot be adequately described by a single number because a good fit requires a match between two (or sometimes three) independent body dimensions. This is a common issue in sizing jeans.

Ad hoc sizes have changed with time due to changing demographics and increasing rates of obesity. This is often portrayed in media as vanity sizing.

Scalar ad hoc sizes based on 1950s anthropometric studies are no longer adequate, as changes in nutrition and life style have shifted the distribution of body dimensions.

Mail order requires accurate methods for predicting the best-fitting size.

Country-specific and vendor-specific labels incur additional costs.

Therefore, the European standards committee CEN/TC 248/WG 10 started in 1996 the process of designing a new modern system of labelling clothes sizes, resulting in the standard EN 13402 "Size designation of clothes".

The first part[2] of the standard defines the list of body dimensions to be used for designating clothes sizes, together with an anatomical explanation and measurement guidelines. All body dimensions are measured, preferably without or as few as possible clothes, in centimetres, except for the body mass.

The standard also defines a pictogram that can be used in language-neutral labels to indicate one or several of the following body dimensions.

maximum horizontal girth measured during normal breathing with the subject standing erect and the tape-measure passed over the shoulder blades (scapulae), under the armpits (axillae), and across the chest

maximum horizontal girth measured during normal breathing with the subject standing erect and the tape-measure passed horizontally, under the armpits (axillae), and across the bust prominence (preferably measured with moderate tension over a brassiere that shall not deform the breast in an unnatural way and shall not displace its volume)

vertical distance between the crown of the head and the soles of the feet, measured with the subject standing erect without shoes and with the feet together (for infants not yet able to stand upright: length of the body measured in a straight line from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet)

distance, measured using the tape-measure, from the armscye/shoulder line intersection (acromion), over the elbow, to the far end of the prominent wrist bone (ulna), with the subject's right fist clenched and placed on the hip, and with the arm bent at 90°

horizontal distance between perpendiculars in contact with the end of the most prominent toe and the most prominent part of the heel, measured with the subject standing barefoot and the weight of the body equally distributed on both feet

The second part[3] of the standard defines for each type of garment one "primary dimension". This is the body measure according to which the product must be labelled. Where men’s garments use the chest girth, women’s clothes are designed for a certain bust girth.

For some types of garment, a single measure may not be sufficient to select the right product. In these cases, one or two "secondary dimensions" can be added to the label.

The following table shows the primary and secondary dimensions listed in the standard, leaving out the redundant words girth, length and size for better overview. Primary dimensions are shown in bold type.

The third part[4] of the standard defines preferred numbers of primary and secondary body dimensions.

The product should not be labelled with the average body dimension for which the garment was designed (i.e., not "height: 176 cm."). Instead, the label should show the range of body dimensions from half the step size below to half the step size above the design size (e.g., "height: 172–180 cm.").

For heights, for example, the standard recommends generally to use the following design dimensions, with a step size of 8 cm:

Height

…

160

168

176

184

192

200

…

Range

…

156–164

164–172

172–180

180–188

188–196

196–204

…

For trousers, the recommended step size for height is 4 cm:

Height

…

156

160

164

168

172

176

180

184

188

192

196

200

…

Range

…

154–158

158–162

162–166

166–170

170–174

174–178

178–182

182–186

186–190

190–194

194–198

198–202

…

The standard defines similar tables for other dimensions and garments, only some of which are shown here.

The European standard EN 13402 also defines bra sizes based on the "bust girth" and the "underbust girth". Bras are labeled with the under bust girth (rounded to the nearest multiple of 5 cm), followed by a letter code that indicates the "cup size" defined below, according to this table defined by the standard.

The standard sizes for brassiere are based on a step of 5 cm:

Underbust girth

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

105

110

115

120

125

Range

58–62

63–67

68–72

73–77

78–82

83–87

88–92

93–97

98–102

103–107

108–112

113–117

118–122

123–127

The secondary dimension cup size can be expressed in terms of the difference

cup size = bust girth − underbust girth

and can be labelled compactly using a letter code appended to the underbust girth:

A woman with an underbust girth of 89 cm and a bust girth of 108 cm has cup size 19 cm (= 108 cm – 89 cm) or "D". Her underbust girth rounded to the nearest multiple of 5 cm is 90 cm. Therefore, her bra size according to the standard is 90D.

For clothes where a larger step size is sufficient, the standard also defines a letter code. This code represents the bust girth for women and the chest girth for men. The standard does not define such a code for children. Each range combines two adjacent size steps. The ranges could be extended below XXS or above 3XL if necessary.

Parts of this article (those related to part 4 of the standard) need to be updated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(September 2011)

The fourth part of the standard is still under review. It will define a compact coding system for clothes sizes. This was originally intended primarily for industry use in databases and as a part of stock-keeping identifiers and catalogue ordering numbers, but later users have also expressed a desire to use compact codes for customer communication. Writing out all the centimetre figures of all the primary and secondary measures from EN 13402-2 can – in some cases – require up to 12 digits. The full list of centimetre figures on the pictogram contains a lot of redundancy and the same information can be squeezed into fewer characters with lookup tables. EN 13402-4 will define such tables.

Dismissed 2005 draft: women's clothes, 3-digit codes

Bust

68

72

76

80

84

88

92

96

100

104

110

116

122

128

134

140

146

152

Waist

52

56

60

64

68

72

76

80

84

88

94

100

106

112

118

124

130

136

Label

XXS

XS

S

M

L

XL

XXL

3XL

4XL

Code

0__

1__

2__

3__

4__

5__

6__

7__

8__

_0_

68

76

84

92

100

112

122

132

142

_1_

_5_

72

80

88

96

106

117

127

137

147

_2_

_6_

76

84

92

100

112

122

132

142

152

_3_

_7_

80

88

96

106

117

127

137

147

157

_4_

_8_

84

92

100

112

122

132

142

152

162

_9_

88

96

106

117

127

137

147

157

167

Height

152

156

160

164

168

172

176

180

184

188

Code

__0

__1

__2

__3

__4

__5

__6

__7

__8

__9

An earlier draft of this part of the standard attempted to list all in-use combinations of EN 13402-3 measures and assigned a short 2- or 3-digit code to each. Some of the industry representatives involved in the standardization process considered this approach too restrictive. Others argued that the primary dimension in centimetres should be a prominent part of the code. Therefore, this proposal, originally expected to be adopted in 2005, was rejected.

Dismissed 2006 AEDT proposal: women's clothes

Primary

Bust

76

80

84

88

92

96

100

104

110

116

122

128

134

140

146

152

Waist

60

64

68

72

76

80

84

88

94

100

106

112

118

124

130

136

Secondary

Code

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

Hip-Bust

0

4

8

12

16

20

24

28

32

36

Hip-Waist

16

20

24

28

32

36

40

44

48

52

Height

152

156

160

164

168

172

176

180

184

188

Since then, several new proposals have been presented to the CEN working group. One of these, tabled by the European Association of National Organisations of Textile Traders (AEDT), proposes a 5-character alphanumeric code, consisting of the 3-digit centimetre figure of the primary body dimension, followed by one or two letters that code a secondary dimension, somewhat like the system already defined for bra sizes.[5] For example, an item designed for 100 cm bust girth, 104 cm hip girth and 176 cm height could bear the compact size code "100BG". This proposal was agreed upon in 2006, but later disregarded.[6] A paper by Bogusławska-Bączek published in 2010 showed that there were still significant difficulties in identifying clothing sizes.[7]